Ariel Winter biography

Smurfs: The Lost Village

Ariel Winter Workman was born in Fairfax, Virginia. Her mother is of Greek ancestry, and she has two much older siblings, both whom are also successful actors (Jimmy Workman, who made his film debut as Pugsley in The Addams Family and Shanelle Workman, who has starred in soap operas).

Ariel’s first acting gig was on a Cool Whip commercial when she was just six years old. The commercial soon landed her other acting opportunities, including a TV role on the show Listen Up! at the age of seven. Her first TV role was followed by a series of guest appearances on popular shows like ER and Criminal Minds, and she eventually earned a role on the Disney animated show Phineas and Ferb, where she gave her voice to the character Gretchen.

Ariel’s big break came in 2009 when she landed the role of Alex Dunphy on the hit sitcom Modern Family. Besides television, Ariel has also appeared in many feature films, including Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) and One Missed Call (2008).

When she’s not acting, Ariel is an active YouTuber, having posted several covers of popular hit songs on her channel.

Perhaps due to her success at such a young age, Ariel was involved in a nasty custody war in 2012 that played out in the public eye. In early October 2012, Ariel contacted The Department of Child and Family Services to say that she was being physically and emotionally abused by her mother, Chrystal Workman. Following a court hearing, custody of Ariel was granted to her 34-year-old sister Shanelle. A bitter feud erupted between Ariel’s mother and sister. It was also claimed at the time that Ariel’s mother was a negative influence on the set of Modern Family, denying Ariel food and berating her. In her own defense, Chrystal claimed that she was trying to save her daughter, who was in a relationship with an 18-year-old actor named Cameron Palatas.

Ariel’s father, Glenn Workman, who is no longer with her mother, also became involved in the custody drama: he filed court documents accusing Chrystal of handling checks on her daughter’s behalf, which is a violation of the custody agreement that gave him sole control of Ariel’s finances. In response, Chrystal was ordered by the court to hand over approximately $4,000 in residual checks. Ariel is currently still living with her sister.